Cottage food rules
Iowa Cottage Food Laws and Buttercream
Know where buttercream stands under Iowa cottage food rules before you take an order.
On this page
What to remember
- Cottage food in Iowa means food prepared in a residence that is not subject to licensing or inspection.
- Time and temperature control for safety foods are restricted under Iowa’s cottage food rules.
- Foods that must be kept hot or cold for safety cannot be sold as cottage food without regulation.
- Frostings, fillings, and icings have their own guidance from Iowa State University Extension.
- The exemption from licensing and labeling laws only holds when you sell and deliver directly to the consumer, or in the way the statute allows.
If you are new to selling from your kitchen, start with Iowa cottage food law basics so you know which foods the state puts in the cottage food basket and which ones it keeps out. Buttercream is a good place to begin because it sits right on the line. A frosting is not automatically fine and it is not automatically off limits. What matters is what your recipe is made of and whether it has to stay cold.
Where buttercream fits in the Iowa rules
Iowa’s cottage food rules are set out in Iowa Code section 137F.20. Under the law, cottage foods are foods prepared in a residence that is not subject to licensing or inspection, and they must meet all of the criteria the legislation defines to qualify. A critical limitation of the law is that time and temperature control for safety foods are restricted.
That is the sentence to read twice. Foods that must be kept hot or cold for safety cannot be sold as cottage food in Iowa without regulation. A buttercream that only holds up because it stays chilled falls straight into that question. Iowa State University Extension addresses safe frostings, fillings, and icings for Iowa cottage food producers directly, which is where to look for the state’s own guidance on what you can safely put between layers and on top of a cake.
Labels and how you hand over the bakes
Cottage foods in Iowa must be properly labeled and must meet all of the criteria defined by the legislation. The exemption from state licensing, permitting, inspection, packaging, and labeling laws only holds if you sell and deliver the food directly to the consumer, or deliver it in the manner the statute allows. The moment your bakes go through someone else’s hands, the ground under you changes.
One more line worth knowing: complying with the cottage food exemption does not represent compliance with federal law. If you want to see how another state words its label requirements, the Indiana label rules show what a complete label usually covers.
Before you sell a frosted cake
Write the recipe down in full
Ingredient by ingredient, including the frosting and any filling, so you can check each one against the state rules.
Answer the cold question
Decide whether your buttercream has to stay cold for safety. If it does, it cannot be sold as cottage food in Iowa without regulation.
Read the Extension guidance
Iowa State University Extension covers safe frostings, fillings, and icings for Iowa cottage food producers.
Label every bake
Cottage foods in Iowa must be properly labeled and must meet all of the criteria in the legislation.
Sell and deliver direct
The exemption only holds when you sell and deliver to the consumer yourself, or in the manner the statute allows.
For a look at how another state writes its rules on the same subject, Indiana’s rules on buttercream make a useful comparison point when you are reading your own.
Try the free bake pricing calculator
Free, no signup.
If you are still working out whether selling from home is worth the effort, home bakery licenses and permits walks through the paperwork side in plain words. Keep your buttercream decisions written down next to your recipes, so the next time someone asks for a frosted cake you already know your answer.
Common questions
Can I sell buttercream cakes from my home in Iowa?
It depends on your recipe and whether the buttercream has to stay cold for safety. Iowa's cottage food rules restrict time and temperature control for safety foods, and foods that must be kept cold cannot be sold as cottage food without regulation. Check your recipe against the Extension guidance for frostings, fillings, and icings before you take an order.
Who publishes guidance on frostings for Iowa cottage food producers?
Iowa State University Extension does, with guidance specifically on safe frostings, fillings, and icings for Iowa cottage food producers.
Do I need a license to sell cottage food in Iowa?
Cottage foods are foods prepared in a residence that is not subject to licensing or inspection, but the food must meet all of the criteria in the legislation. The exemption from licensing, permitting, inspection, packaging, and labeling laws only holds when you sell and deliver directly to the consumer, or in the manner the statute allows.
Do I still need labels on my bakes?
Yes. Cottage foods in Iowa must be properly labeled and must meet all of the criteria defined by the legislation.
Does following the cottage food rules mean I am following federal law?
No. Iowa Code section 137F.20 sets out the state cottage food rules, and compliance with the cottage food exemption does not represent compliance with federal law.
Sources
General information only, not legal advice. Confirm your recipe, labels, and selling method against the current Iowa rules before you sell.